Parle Agro makes entry into snack food, new brand called Hippo

Parle Agro has announced the launch of a new baked wheat snack Hippo. The snack aims to bridge the gap in the branded snack market, which is valued at over Rs. 6500 crores and is growing at an annual rate of 25 percent. The media for the snack will include a mix of Above-the- Line (ATL) and Below-the-Line (BTL) activities.

Speaking about the foray into snacks, Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director & CMO, Parle Agro, stated, “We entered the foods segment in 2007 with confectionery. With Hippo, our aim is to diversify further by adding snacks to our portfolio. This is a significant step for us as we move closer towards being a complete foods and beverages player.”

The media campaign to drive visibility for Hippo will include a mix of ATL and BTL activities. Since Hippo is initially being launched regionally, the focus on BTL activities will be higher and ATL activities will start by August. Promotional activities at the consumer level, outdoors and sampling activities for the brand will start by end of June.

The mascot for the snacks is a character Hippo. The mascot is based on the belief, that the world will be a happier place if people were not hungry.

The snack is being rolled out from the Western region starting with Maharashtra and will soon be rolled out nationally. Each variant will be initially available in packs of Rs. 5 and Rs. 10. The snack will include six different flavours - Italian Pizza, Chinese Manchurian, Hot-n-Sweet Tomato, Thai Chilli and Yoghurt Mint Chutney.

Parle Agro, the Indian beverage major has been refreshing India since two decades with brands like Frooti, Appy, Appy Fizz and packaged drinking water, Bailley.

In 2007, Parle Agro forayed into the confectionery business with Mintrox Hard Mints and Buttercup candies, both of which are established products within the category. Recent products from Parle Agro include chewy toffees Buttercup Softease, Frewt Éclairs, Saint 100% Juice, LMN and Grappo Fizz.